Emeralds In The Rough
by CountinggStars
Summary: Hogwarts has been rebuilt, the Ministry reformed, the Wizarding Community has begun reestablishing itself, and the students have returned to finish their educations. Anneliese expects to finally experience what some call a 'normal' year of schooling within Hogwarts' castle and grounds, or as close to it as possible anyway, only to find out that it will be anything but.


_**Author's Note:**_ After reading a massive amount of Harry Potter fiction, I have decided to branch out and give it a go! I know that I still have my other story that seriously needs attention but I couldn't seem to concentrate on it with these plot bunnies hopping around unattended within my mind. Some of my favorites so far have been the Marriage Law Fics; I know, possibly a little silly or cliche, but I can't help it. I like watching a reformed Draco Malfoy grow ;)  
So, here's my take on one! I hope you enjoy!

_Warning!:_ Marriage Law Story, if they aren't your thing I'd hop the next broomstick out of here! Reformed Slytherins and Original Characters so definite AU and OOC-ness as well!

_Rating:_ Fiction M for language, adult themes/situations, possible violence, etc.

_Pairings:_ Draco Malfoy/OFC  
-Side Pairings: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Blaise Zabini/OFC, Theodore Nott/OFC, Luna Lovegood/Neville Longbottom

Feedback is welcomed but please keep story hating to yourself! Draco can still be quite scary with a wand ;)

_**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Harry Potter; movies, novels, characters, etc. I simply own my Original Characters; Anneliese, Isadora, and Madeline, as well as their OC family members and any of my personal, non-canon, plot ideas!**_

* * *

**Chapter One**  
**Hogwarts: Reunited**

* * *

It looked different…yet it was the same.

The rubble and destroyed pieces of the castle's stone walls and pathways had long since been removed, leaving behind ample space for new construction that had been performed non-stop, starting only a week after the final battle ended. Professor, now Headmistress, McGonagall had absolutely refused to even entertain the idea of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry not remaining open at the start of the next school year, hence the frenzy of new construction on school grounds. They'd been successful in restoring the castle's majestic looks, even adding what looked like a few new towers and floors to the grounds it seemed, and it now stood as if death and destruction had _never_ touched it.

Anneliese Potter-Le Fay knew different.

_Especially_ being Harry Potter's cousin.

It wasn't exactly all fun and games having the 'The Boy Who Lived' in your family tree.

Nevertheless, after the defeat of the Dark Lord and a hectic summer filled to the brim with death threats on her and Hermione's behalf in regards to both Harry's and his bestfriend Ron's vows not to return for their seventh year of schooling at Hogwarts, Anneliese found herself traipsing through the stony hallways with her cousin and closest friends once more. The night before had betrayed differences from years past, the number of eager to learn students had been greatly diminished due to the losses of the war, however there were a surprising number of first years carted in from the lake by Hagrid, just like always. The four house tables remained, each depicting the crests and colors of Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff with the Faculty tables still positioned at the front. The candles still floated under the magical ceiling depicting the night sky, the food still magically appeared, and that warm feeling (though slightly dulled) still filled my heart as I looked around at it all.

But this morning as I rushed through the Entrance Hall, dragging a still half-asleep Isadora Diggory (my maternal cousin _and_ bestfriend) behind me after meeting up with one already frazzled Hermione Granger, the three of us burst through the Great Hall doors in search of our breakfasts.

And screeched to a halt, dead in our tracks.

"But…w-what? _Why_!" Hermione hissed, the first to regain use of her vocal cords among us. "Is there a new house? Do we have exchange students again? There was _nothing_ in the Hogwarts letter and Head Girl packet about this!"

The hysterical edge to her tone finally roused me from my trance, though Izzy seemed to have fallen into slumber once more, completely oblivious.

"Calm down 'Mione," I murmured, concerned. "It's only the second day, and a Saturday no less. Stressing will do you more harm than good."

"But-but…there's an extra _TABLE_!" She sputtered, shaking her head back and forth.

I coughed, swatting her wild hair out of my face before muttering one of the multiple cosmetic charms that came in handy for us witches, grateful to see the frizz she'd created smooth out as I twirled my wand around her head.

"Ah! Miss. Granger, Miss. Le Fay!"

Our heads whipped to the left and then down toward the chuckling Professor Flitwick as he eyed Izzy, who had slumped down against my shoulder in an effort to remain standing whilst snoozing. He carried a stack of letters, more like packets it seemed, that almost rivaled his height and I briefly worried about his balance as it tipped ever so slightly to the side.

"And Miss. Diggory, good morning to you all!" He continued, smiling.

Hermione and I inclined our heads while murmuring our own morning greetings.

Izzy let out a less than feminine grunt.

"Still quite worn out I see. Very well, I shall make it quick. I'm sure that you can each see the additional table provided in the Hall this morning-"

I arched a brow as he spoke, my bright green eyes settling on the furniture in question. Sure enough, it seemed the original house tables had been shortened some and then scooted to the sides, two on either side of the new table that bore no house flags or colors but instead, seemed to sport a braided table runner engraved into the shining wood.

Four ribbons, each made up of two braided colors; Emerald Green and Silver, Royal Blue and Bronze, Crimson and Gold, Yellow and Black.

All four houses.

"-where Seventh Years and a select group of Sixth Years will sit from now on this school term. Such a marvelous idea, don't you agree? Promotes quite the unity, _exactly_ what we need now!"

I nodded absentmindedly, still entirely stunned.

"But _why_ Professor?" Hermione questioned, irritated with not being informed beforehand.

She was one of my friends, though not as close as Izzy and Madeline Littleton (who was still asleep as well it seemed), but _goodness_ she could be such a know it all.

Meh.

"Oh! You'll find out after breakfast Miss. Granger!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, tapping the stack of letters in his hands knowingly. "All in good time, my dear."

And with that, he scurried away, leaving Hermione with her mouth opening and closing like a fish thrown to shore.

"Well…" I began after we stood for a minute more, still staring. "Might as well get this show on the road!"

I pulled them each forward due to their lack of abilities to walk, Izzy because of her half-closed eyelids and Hermione because she seemed to be in shock, before depositing us each on one side of the unfamiliar table about halfway down. We weren't the first to arrive from what I noticed after finally settling myself as I poured out orange juice for us, coffee for Izzy, and glanced around. The younger members of each house were whispering furiously, each of them trying to crack the code about why on _earth_ a fifth table had emerged, while my fellow Seventh Years chewed and stared up toward the faculty in confusion.

Vaguely I picked out Zacharias Smith and Hannah Abbott clustered with a few other Hufflepuffs down by the end of the table closest to the Professors, Rodger Davies (who offered me a smirky grin that I returned, of _course_), Cho Chang and the Patil twins sat a little further down with a few more Ravenclaws grouped around them, leaving most of the Gryffindor Seventh Years between us.

Minus Harry and Ron, who seemed to be half-asleep zombies like Izzy if the sight of Luna Lovegood and Madeline pushing them along toward us was _any_ indication.

"Good morning," Luna sighed dreamily, sinking down into her place directly across from Hermione before pulling a dazed Ron Weasley down with her.

"What the bloody hell is _this_ mess?" Madeline growled, depositing Harry down beside Ron before sinking down into a seat across from Izzy. "A new table? Have we joined the bloody circus?"

A quiet giggle escaped my lips, apparently wakening Harry who sent me a sloppy grin as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He nudged my leg under the table playfully before nodding to Ron who, with eyes barely open, was still managing to spoon heaping piles of food onto his plate.

I snorted.

"New rules," I offered, turning back to Madeline's searching eyes that were flitting across the newly remodeled hall. "Apparently all Seventh Years will be sitting here for the _rest_ of the year, maybe even some Sixth Years."

Madeline choked on her milk, nearly splattering Izzy in the process who let out an indignant cry.

"HEY!" She squealed, tossing a biscuit at the third member of our trio.

"At least you're awake now," Madeline smirked, arching an eyebrow. "You should be _thanking_ me. So, why is this happening exactly?" She asked, ignoring Izzy's grumbling.

"That is _precisely_ what I would like to know!" Hermione huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring down at her breakfast.

I shrugged, lifting a forkful of scrambled eggs to my lips. "No idea, Flitwick says that we will learn in 'good time', whatever that means." I quoted, a grin tugging at my lips.

Madeline, Harry and Izzy each rolled their eyes.

"Well, I think it's lovely." Luna sighed, tracing her fingers lightly over the engraved, intertwined ribbons. "Don't you?"

"It should be inter-…_Merlin_! They're here, they actually came back!"

My eyes darted up at Hermione's surprised gasp, instantly landing on the lean figure of the boy who loomed above most with his six-foot and four inches of height and his strikingly blonde hair that reflected any and all light. I knew the icy gray eyes that were fixed straight ahead, marginally covered with his slightly ruffled hair that was surprisingly out of place. He was closely followed by the almost equally tall but lanky frame of Theodore Nott, quite the reserved bookworm who still possessed an air of maturity with his hazel eyes hidden behind wisps of brown hair, and Blaise Zabini who topped out around six-foot with his Italian good looks and classic half-smile, though it was laced with tension, I could see. They were trailed by a sight that made my lip curl up in a sneer instinctively, my eyes narrowing as they connected with the murky brown ones that belonged to one Pansy Parkinson, fondly known as _'Pugsy'_ amongst Izzy, Madeline and myself.

Terrible, I know.

"Of course they came back." Madeline shrugged, averting her eyes the quickest of us all as she turned back to her breakfast.

Except Luna of course, who remained staring into her morning oatmeal with a dreamy expression as she flipped the pages of a thick novel back and forth.

"But…they're _Slytherins_-" Hermione murmured, also looking away as the four students eased themselves onto the benches closest to the doors.

Izzy and I each paused with our cups in the air, and my lips turned into a disapproving frown as I looked over at our friend while Harry froze with his eyes going wide and even Ron paused in his mission to devour his breakfast plate.

"What the _fuck_ does that mean?" Izzy snapped, bristling easily as she narrowed her eyes and raised her voice.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

_Fantastic_.

I'd managed to keep my cousin out of most debates and tussles as we navigated Diagon Ally before the start of term for our school supplies and even the Hogwarts Express, only to have her erupt right here in the middle of the Great-freaking-Hall on the second freaking day, all because Hermione couldn't keep a lid on it. As I breathed through my nose, I noticed Ron and Harry each shrink back at her sharp tone, scooting down toward Neville, Dean and Seamus in an attempt to extract themselves from the brewing storm.

Lucky bastards.

"Izzy-" I started, trying to soothe her as Hermione sputtered, a blush staining her cheeks once she picked up on her mistake.

"No Elle, I want to hear what she's got to say. I mean, whatever the _Gryffindor Princess_ has to say about us _lowly_ snakes must be all-knowing and true! We must _all_ be the exact same, right Hermione?"

A sharp crackling sound filled my ears, though it was faint and I doubted that anyone other than Madeline and myself could pick up on it. Izzy's eyes had gone wide, a fiery gleam spread over them as the amber color darkened with her anger, and her fists remained clenched. I gripped her shoulder tightly, trying my best to calm her as the conversations in the room died down and people, students and teachers alike, began listening in to the confrontation. All the while, a fierce and burning gaze settled on me from down the table.

Which I promptly ignored.

"I didn't…really Iz, I _didn't_ mean-" Hermione whispered, her blush intensifying with her shame.

"Oh no, you did. So come out with it then! Tell us all how despicable it is that Elle and I, and that lot down there, _dared_ to show our faces at Hogwarts once again! Enlighten us all to-"

"_Enough!"_

Parseltongue.

I hissed out the words, my lips right against her ear so that others couldn't hear the serpentine language that fell from my lips, considering it typically put most who couldn't speak it on edge, but was the easiest way to break Izzy out of the rant she was sinking into.

"_She insulted our kind-"_

"_She misspoke Isadora."_ I hissed back, the foreign sounds soothing us both. _"She has lived on the receiving end of harsh words from them for seven years. May I remind you not our entire house resembled us and we too endured slander? She did not mean us harm."_

I leaned back away from her then, blinking a few times to mask the glittering quality that I knew had taken residence in my irises as I spoke the ancient tongues to her in an attempt to keep her calm. Izzy sucked in a deep and shuddering breath, ripping her eyes from the girl who sat to my left as she resumed sipping her coffee without a word, a mask of nonchalance falling down over her features with ease. I began to eat once more, watching from the corner of my eye as Madeline sent Izzy a calming glance, Hermione picked at her food in embarrassment once more, and Luna continued to stare at her book as she turned the pages, making a smile tug up at the corners of my lips as I wondered if she was actually even reading the thing. The conversation of those around us soon picked up again, though with slight hesitation, while the feeling of _his_ eyes on me still radiated across my skin.

"I'm sorry Iz, Anneliese. I didn't mean it that way, not at _all_, I hope you know…" Hermione whispered, not wanting to feed the gossiping underclassmen that were still watching us even though they were speaking once more.

Clearing my throat, I flashed her a quick smile. "It's alright 'Mione, we'll live."

Izzy let out a snort but nodded all the same.

And just like that, the tension between us all dissipated as we moved on to newer topics like the flirty smiles that were being thrown our way from the Ravenclaw boys up the table, much to Madeline's pleasure. Harry and Ron rejoined us a little while later, eyeing us warily before asking if it was safe for them to be near us while Ron swore up and down to never cross onto Izzy's bad side. I kept my eyes from traveling down the table like they attempted to do multiple times, seemingly being pulled to the searing gaze that I could feel burning into my side every now and then.

I couldn't look him in the eye.

_Not yet._

If I _did_, the memory of standing in the demolished Entrance Hall as adults and students alike rushed about frantically in preparation for battle while others slipped away into the afterlife and the darkness brought on by the world's darkest wizard who hovered on the outskirts of the grounds would resurface yet again. The feeling of strong arms wrapped around my hips and lower back while cool lips pressed themselves against mine in a heated, desperate, and silent acknowledgement of things unsaid would return, and leave me breathless.

I couldn't look at him because he'd know.

_He always knew_.

"Elle? _Elle_! Anneliese!" Harry called, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

A small shriek left my lips and I jumped toward Izzy, nearly knocking her off the bench. Madeline arched an eyebrow, a knowing expression flitting across her face as her eyes darted down the table and back to me again while Izzy cursed emphatically.

"What? Sorry, I spaced out." I mumbled, looking back up at my lightly green-eyed cousin.

Who was shaking in silent laughter.

"Oi! Shut it you prat!" I glared, throwing a biscuit at his head as well.

"Not the _food_!" Ron shouted through bites. "What'd it ever do to you?"

It was only then that I noticed Ginny had taken a place next to her older brother's side, along with a handful of other Sixth Year girls, and the bulk of the younger house students were trailing out through the doors into the Entrance Hall, still shooting curious looks back at us.

"Wait…where are they all going?" I asked, confused once more.

"While you were '_spaced out_'," Madeline smirked, and I could practically hear the air quotes she must've been dying to use, "McGonagall kicked them all out except for Ginny and the others. Apparently there's some sort of announcement to be made."

"Probably just telling us why we're sitting at this blasted table." Ron muttered, still chewing on a piece of bacon.

"Oh please Ronald, then why would your sister be sitting here?" Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "No, it's something else."

I bit my lip before sitting up straighter, grinning. "Hey, I wonder if it has something to do with that extra paperwork and blood sample we gave at the beginning of summer?"

"That's right!" Hermione whispered excitedly. "I _did_ wonder what they needed all that information for. I presumed it was something like a census-"

"A what-sus?" Ron asked.

"A census, Ron. It's used in muggle societies to keep account of the population size, demographics, and such." She murmured back, rolling her eyes.

"But why would they do that here? Those questions were pretty...personal." I questioned, furrowing my eyebrows.

And they _had_ been, strangely so.

"To keep track of us." Harry muttered lowly.

We each quieted at his answering, letting it sink into our brains. While off-putting, it made sense in a lot of ways. The closer they watched the wizarding population, the easier it would be for the Ministry to crack down on any wizards or witches that seemed to be going bad so they could prevent yet another disaster.

"May I have your attention? Your _attention_ please!" McGonagall called from the podium, her shrewd gaze landing on our two trios in particular.

We shut up.

"I am sure that each of you are questioning the addition of the new table you each are seated at in this moment and have been pondering its purpose, along with why I have held the entire Seventh Year class back, along with select others."

Murmurs of agreement moved through the table, trickling from student to student all the way back to the nearly silent Slytherins that sat near the doors. A conflicted expression crossed our new Headmistress' face, betraying her typical stern expression with one made up of pity and understanding before she continued on.

"Each student in this room will be receiving a letter and packet from not only Hogwarts but the Ministry of Magic as well, detailing a new plan of action to help…benefit our wizarding world. Professor Flitwick, if you please-"

I felt Hermione tense up beside me and looked down to see her fingers curled around the table edge, her knuckles white with the effort and strain it took to do so. It made her veins stand out and just the slight glimmer of the scarring left behind by her torture session with Bellatrix could be seen if you looked very closely, provoking a disgusted clenching feeling in my stomach.

"They _wouldn't_!" She hissed fiercely, her eyebrows pulled down in anger.

"Wouldn't what 'Mione?" I whispered, my eyes following the short professor's movements as he spelled the letters to hover above each student's head.

But I received no answer.

"I ask that you each read the contents of your letters _thoroughly_, keeping in mind that there is nothing to be done concerning the nature of this information. If you have questions, Professors Flitwick, Slughorn, and myself will remain here to answer them, to the best of our abilities of course. You may want to separate to read on your own, should you feel the need for privacy."

She gave a simple flick of her wrist and suddenly, a thick envelope settled within my hands while the same thing happened to each of us who sat within the hall, more confused than ever. It seemed that no one really understood what was happening, aside from Hermione that is.

Who was whispering Merlin's name over and over as her hands shook.

"'Mione, what the bloody hell is _wrong_ with you?" Ron muttered, slowly turning over the envelope in his hands.

She remained silent under our watchful gazes, trading words for ripping savagely into the beige colored packet in front of her. What came out looked to be a stack of papers, maybe a quarter of an inch thick, and a single letter on top written in the vaguely familiar script typical of the Ministry. Her eyes darted over the first page at a rapid speed before an exasperated shriek left her lips and she clapped her hands over her face, shaking her head violently.

She wasn't the only one.

"Oh sweet _Circe_!"

"Merlin! How _COULD_ they?!"

"WHAT! THEY CAN'T FORCE US TO BLOODY _DO_ THIS!"

"The hell is going _on_?" I hissed, my eyes darting to both Izzy and Madeline.

"Open it." Hermione moaned, dropping her head back down on the table as the cries of outrage became louder and louder, filling the hall to a dull roar even with our diminished numbers.

So I did.

* * *

Ministry of Magic  
Great Britain  
Ministry of Magic Headquarters  
Whitehall, London

Dear Miss. Anneliese Ophelia Potter-Le Fay,

The Ministry of Magic and her advisors welcome you back to your Seventh Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Due to the nature and severe impacts of the Second Wizarding War upon our world and the population of known witches and wizards, muggleborn, half-blood, pure-blood, and the likes, an emergency council has been called to action in an attempt to strike preemptively against the diminishing numbers of our magical beings. As a result, the _Emergency Wizarding Marriage Law_ legislation has been reinstated per discussion and vote by said council.

As so stated, unwed witches and wizards in your age bracket of seventeen to twenty-one have been interviewed and matched through our top advisors and divination professionals to provide partners who best suit each witch or wizard. A marriage between said partners is expected no later than the second week of January in the coming year, while the conception of a new witch or wizard is expected no later than one year following marriage. Below you will find the name and statistics of your betrothed, as deemed by the Ministry of Magic. Said match is _nonnegotiable_ and can only be canceled by death, infertility of ones' partner or previous engagement, though any such claim will be investigated with top priority through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. _Any _suspicious or devious findings will be reported and the offending witch/wizard will thus be rendered to Azkaban and/or have their wand snapped and destroyed immediately; _no exceptions_. Please refer to the information packet concerning requirements of the Emergency Wizarding Marriage Law and its deadlines including but not limited to; Marriage Date, Conception Requirements and Deadlines, Hogwarts School Dormitories and Living, Out of School Marriage Partners, Ministry of Magic Provisions, Petitions Regarding Partnering, etc.

It is our sincerest hope to reestablish a healthy, diverse, and thriving wizarding community as quickly as possible after the War. Please address any questions to the information packet provided before reporting them to the Ministry at this time. When your wizarding match has procured a marriage date, please OWL the office of Wizarding Marriage Affairs immediately.

Sincerely,  
Kingsley Shacklebolt  
Minister of Magic

Emergency Wizarding Marriage Law Act  
Anneliese Ophelia Potter-Le Fay  
Match #249

**Partner:** Draco Abraxas Malfoy, Wizard

**Date of Birth:** 5th June, 1980

**Schooling:** Braxton's Magical Primary  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
House: Slytherin

**Blood Status:** Pure-Blood  
*Analysis indicates possible traces of Veela blood in addition to Wizarding blood

**Parentage:**  
*Lucius Malfoy- Biological Father  
*Narcissa Malfoy _née_ Black- Biological Mother

* * *

Sweet Merlin, Circe, _and_ Salazar Slytherin...

What the bloody hell was I going to do _now_?


End file.
